Finger Length Predicts SAT Performance

[Viktorkrum77]

A quick look at the lengths of children's index and ring fingers can be used to predict how well students will perform on SATs, new research claims.

 

 

 

Kids with longer ring fingers compared to index fingers are likely to have higher math scores than literacy or verbal scores on the college entrance exam, while children with the reverse finger-length ratio are likely to have higher reading and writing, or verbal, scores versus math scores.

 

 

 

Scientists have known that different levels of the hormones testosterone and estrogen in the womb account for the different finger lengths, which are a reflection of areas of the brain that are more highly developed than others, said psychologist Mark Brosnan of the University of Bath, who led the study.

 

 

 

Exposure to testosterone in the womb is said to promote development of areas of the brain often associated with spatial and mathematical skills, he said. That hormone makes the ring finger longer. Estrogen exposure does the same for areas of the brain associated with verbal ability and tends to lengthen the index finger relative to the ring finger.

 

 

 

To test the link to children's scores on the College Board's Scholastic Assessment Test (for which the name has changed a number of times in the past 100 years), Brosnan and his colleagues made photocopies of children's palms and measured the length of their index and ring fingers using calipers accurate to 0.01 millimeters. They used the finger-length ratios as a proxy for the levels of testosterone and estrogen exposure.

 

 

 

The researchers then looked at boys' and girls' test performances separately and compared them to finger-length ratio measurements. They found a clear link between high prenatal testosterone exposure, indicated by the longer index finger compared to the ring finger, and higher scores on the math SAT.

 

 

 

Similarly, they found higher literacy SAT scores for the girls among those who had lower prenatal testosterone exposure, as indicated by a shorter ring finger compared with the index finger.

 

 

 

The researchers also compared the finger-lengths ratios to all the children's SAT scores and found that a relatively longer ring fingerÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ã

[Errdoth]

I just saw that on yahoo, didn't even bother to click on it, it looked like a load of BS, I'll read it later.

[Viktorkrum77]

I just saw that on yahoo, didn't even bother to click on it, it looked like a load of BS, I'll read it later.

 

 

 

It's not, they're just narrowing it down and making it more specific to get more attention.

[runescapeloser22]

Lol!

 

My ring finger is longer then my index finger. It's true, I do better in Math then Language Arts :XD:

[Errdoth]

I actually thought it was a long-belated yahoo april fools joke at first. Devoting your whole life to analyzing the comparison between finger lengths and SAT scores, lovely what I have to look forward to, isn't it?

[Vulxai]

There's some truth to that I suppose, I do better in Math than in anything else. But I'm not literacy-impaired, if you will. I like to write poems, short stories, plays, etc. I like taking classes that we can do a lot of creative writing in because I like doing that.

[Somnambulism]

Breaking news:

 

 

 

Skull shape predicts criminal predisposition.

[RebelAssassin]

A quick look at the lengths of children's index and ring fingers can be used to predict how well students will perform on SATs, new research claims.

 

 

 

Kids with longer ring fingers compared to index fingers are likely to have higher math scores than literacy or verbal scores on the college entrance exam, while children with the reverse finger-length ratio are likely to have higher reading and writing, or verbal, scores versus math scores.

 

 

 

Scientists have known that different levels of the hormones testosterone and estrogen in the womb account for the different finger lengths, which are a reflection of areas of the brain that are more highly developed than others, said psychologist Mark Brosnan of the University of Bath, who led the study.

 

 

 

Exposure to testosterone in the womb is said to promote development of areas of the brain often associated with spatial and mathematical skills, he said. That hormone makes the ring finger longer. Estrogen exposure does the same for areas of the brain associated with verbal ability and tends to lengthen the index finger relative to the ring finger.

 

 

 

To test the link to children's scores on the College Board's Scholastic Assessment Test (for which the name has changed a number of times in the past 100 years), Brosnan and his colleagues made photocopies of children's palms and measured the length of their index and ring fingers using calipers accurate to 0.01 millimeters. They used the finger-length ratios as a proxy for the levels of testosterone and estrogen exposure.

 

 

 

The researchers then looked at boys' and girls' test performances separately and compared them to finger-length ratio measurements. They found a clear link between high prenatal testosterone exposure, indicated by the longer index finger compared to the ring finger, and higher scores on the math SAT.

 

 

 

Similarly, they found higher literacy SAT scores for the girls among those who had lower prenatal testosterone exposure, as indicated by a shorter ring finger compared with the index finger.

 

 

 

The researchers also compared the finger-lengths ratios to all the children's SAT scores and found that a relatively longer ring fingerÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ã

[angryjoe]

Also if your hand is bigger than your face, you have cancer.

 

 

 

*SMACK*

[Tigra00]

Also if your hand is bigger than your face, you have cancer.

 

 

 

*SMACK*

 

 

 

Hahaha, I had some kid fall for that once. I relished for like 5 seconds as he held his hand up to his face and went "How's it look?" before I slammed him in the face. Hilarious.

 

 

 

I think this is BS. I have really long fingers and I don't think I'd get a 1600 on an SAT, still. ;) Another kid I know has FREAKISHLY long fingers and he'd get like a 2. Seriously, he's stupid.

[No_OnE]

Also if your hand is bigger than your face, you have cancer.

 

 

 

*SMACK*

 

 

 

Hahaha, I had some kid fall for that once. I relished for like 5 seconds as he held his hand up to his face and went "How's it look?" before I slammed him in the face. Hilarious.

 

 

 

I think this is BS. I have really long fingers and I don't think I'd get a 1600 on an SAT, still. ;) Another kid I know has FREAKISHLY long fingers and he'd get like a 2. Seriously, he's stupid.

 

I don't think it said that people with longer fingers will do better on the test. It just said that if your ring finger is longer than your index, you'll probably do better on math than on verbal and vice versa. That rule is true for my friend Abi and I. She has a longer index finger than ring and did better on writing but I have a longer ring finger and I did great on math. This was the PSAT but still. My scores for the PSAT were:

 

 

 

500 on Critical Reading

 

730 on Math

 

530 on Writing Skills

 

 

 

My total was a 1760 which is pretty good considering I'm only a freshman.

[Tigra00]

Also if your hand is bigger than your face, you have cancer.

 

 

 

*SMACK*

 

 

 

Hahaha, I had some kid fall for that once. I relished for like 5 seconds as he held his hand up to his face and went "How's it look?" before I slammed him in the face. Hilarious.

 

 

 

I think this is BS. I have really long fingers and I don't think I'd get a 1600 on an SAT, still. ;) Another kid I know has FREAKISHLY long fingers and he'd get like a 2. Seriously, he's stupid.

 

I don't think it said that people with longer fingers will do better on the test. It just said that if your ring finger is longer than your index, you'll probably do better on math than on verbal and vice versa. That rule is true for my friend Abi and I. She has a longer index finger than ring and did better on writing but I have a longer ring finger and I did great on math. This was the PSAT but still. My scores for the PSAT were:

 

 

 

500 on Critical Reading

 

730 on Math

 

530 on Writing Skills

 

 

 

My total was a 1760 which is pretty good considering I'm only a freshman.

 

 

 

Hm, I thought everyone's ring finger was longer than their index. Mine is. *Shrug*

[Viktorkrum77]

Hm, I thought everyone's ring finger was longer than their index. Mine is. *Shrug*

 

 

 

My ring finger is shorter by a few millimetres.

 

 

 

*Edit*

 

 

 

Apparently I'm wrong, my ring finger is the longer of the two.

[Randox]

Learn something new everyday, veary interesting. Looks like it might not be bs :)

[Smapla]

I scored a 99% on the PSAT math section, and my ring finger is indeed slightly longer than my index finger :-k

[ThurinEthir]

Well...Let's see...

 

I'm excellent in math, doing math work up to 4 grades above my level...So my ring finger should be longer...

 

*Gets ruler*

 

Ring finger is 2 mm longer. At least I think...Can't really measure accurately...

 

 

 

Who cares, I still do better in math.

[deloriagod]

My ring finger is longer than my index finger and I suck at math but I'm pretty good with my English skills..

[mad4u689]

I'm a math major, and my ring finger is significantly longer than my index finger.

 

 

 

However, this study is a little bit silly (though kind of cool). I mean, basically it's just saying that people who are exposed to more testosterone than estrogen in the womb are more likely to perform better in math than in verbal skills. This basically just means that there is some scientific evidence to support the gender roles of men being better at math/science than women - and I'm surprised that *that* isn't the headline that was made! However, I guess that's a little too un-PC.

[Errdoth]

What is and average SAT score? I took the PSAT, it was being offerd by the local university for kids, and my parents wanted me to take it.

 

 

 

I got:

 

 

 

PSAT Score:

Math: 52 

Critical Reading: 56

Writing: 57

PSAT Total Score: 165



Estimated SAT Score (from PSAT):

Math: 520

Critical Reading: 560

Writing: 570

Estimated SAT Score Total: 1650

 

 

 

and my ring finger is distinctly longer than my index, but I'm pretty even on them all.

[My_Eggs]

My ring finger is longer than my index finger and I suck at math but I'm pretty good with my English skills..

 

 

 

Same here, 94% in math and 97% in Language Arts... not true for me....

[deloriagod]

My ring finger is longer than my index finger and I suck at math but I'm pretty good with my English skills..

 

 

 

Same here, 94% in math and 97% in Language Arts... not true for me....

 

 

 

D in geometry C in English II.. Smart little b*tch.. I suppose my slacker ways don't help me at all..

[runesmithie]

A quick look at the lengths of children's index and ring fingers can be used to predict how well students will perform on SATs, new research claims.

 

 

 

Kids with longer ring fingers compared to index fingers are likely to have higher math scores than literacy or verbal scores on the college entrance exam, while children with the reverse finger-length ratio are likely to have higher reading and writing, or verbal, scores versus math scores.

 

 

 

Scientists have known that different levels of the hormones testosterone and estrogen in the womb account for the different finger lengths, which are a reflection of areas of the brain that are more highly developed than others, said psychologist Mark Brosnan of the University of Bath, who led the study.

 

 

 

Exposure to testosterone in the womb is said to promote development of areas of the brain often associated with spatial and mathematical skills, he said. That hormone makes the ring finger longer. Estrogen exposure does the same for areas of the brain associated with verbal ability and tends to lengthen the index finger relative to the ring finger.

 

 

 

To test the link to children's scores on the College Board's Scholastic Assessment Test (for which the name has changed a number of times in the past 100 years), Brosnan and his colleagues made photocopies of children's palms and measured the length of their index and ring fingers using calipers accurate to 0.01 millimeters. They used the finger-length ratios as a proxy for the levels of testosterone and estrogen exposure.

 

 

 

The researchers then looked at boys' and girls' test performances separately and compared them to finger-length ratio measurements. They found a clear link between high prenatal testosterone exposure, indicated by the longer index finger compared to the ring finger, and higher scores on the math SAT.

 

 

 

Similarly, they found higher literacy SAT scores for the girls among those who had lower prenatal testosterone exposure, as indicated by a shorter ring finger compared with the index finger.

 

 

 

The researchers also compared the finger-lengths ratios to all the children's SAT scores and found that a relatively longer ring fingerÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ã

[No_OnE]

so our tax ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã's are going on pointless studies like this? wasnt there research into 'the perfect bacon sandwich' a few months ago? shouldnt these people be curing cancer or aids rather than messing about with bacon?

 

There are tons of research groups going into cancer and AIDS. Just because there are many major diseases/illnesses out there doesn't mean scientists should drop everything and go study those. Discoveries like this can help link different things that are important also. By the way, I guarantee that all those major illnesses are receiving a fair amount of medical research.

[runescapeloser22]

I just realized that my ring finger is almost as long as my middle finger :|

 

I have a long ring finger... and a short index finger, maybe that's why I suck at grammar and have failed like 3/5 of my Language Art tests this term :lol:

[hellbellz]

"But Sir, I have a shorter pointer finger than my ring finger! Don't blame me for doing bad on my literacy test. Blame my damned fingers."

 

 

 

:lol: